Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $691 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,158 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,625 in Changzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than in Changzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Changzhou 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.84 ¥19.18

60.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$26.06 ¥176

77.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.23 ¥28.60

108.98%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.93 ¥19.79

4.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.48 ¥3.24

52.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.25 ¥1.67

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.68 ¥4.56

257.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.41 ¥9.55

168.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.00 ¥13.53

13.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.27 ¥8.61

42.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.99 ¥6.68

127.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.79 ¥12.11

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.94 ¥46.86

181.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.53 ¥17.12

44.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.77 ¥66.0

33.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.73 ¥11.71

86.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.80 ¥12.19

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.65 ¥11.14

44.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.03 ¥6.94

97.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.73 ¥4.91

109.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.97 ¥6.56

54.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.37 ¥2.47

164.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.53 ¥3.59

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.03 ¥20.48

46.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.37 ¥70.1

76.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.71 ¥4.77

161.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.64 ¥11.05

63.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.32 ¥2.17

340.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$13.14 ¥88.8

-10.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.41 ¥9.54

120.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.28 ¥1.90

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.82 ¥19.06

400.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.10 ¥7.43

19.09%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$15.2K ¥103.0K

82.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥113.0K

98.65%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿4,118

$45.32 ¥306

170.17%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.59 ฿457

$11.57 ¥78.2

17.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$18.30 ¥124

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$38.05 ¥257

58.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.73 ¥92.8

23.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.44 ¥43.50

40.84%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 ฿23.8K

$234 ¥1,584

201.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.7K ¥92.6K

15.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$45.12 ¥305

29.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$26.35 ¥178

34.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$68.4 ¥462

68.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$70.1 ¥473

19.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$282 ¥1,903

122.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$205 ¥1,387

116.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$850 ¥5,747

139.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$462 ¥3,125

222.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,987 ¥20.2K

16.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,642 ¥11.1K

56.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,040 ¥7,029

-51.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.35

59.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $282 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 108% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $177 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 108% lower in Changzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $282 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $691 in Changzhou versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Changzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.